


Sitting Ducks

by JantoJones



Series: Stand-alone Two (The 2nd 100) [6]
Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-11-01 23:10:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10931964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JantoJones/pseuds/JantoJones
Summary: Napoleon and Illya and summoned to Central Park by a contact.





	Sitting Ducks

Meeting contacts in Central Park was a little too clichéd and contrived for Illya’s liking. Admittedly, because of the openness and the amount of people, it was an ideal location, but it always felt like a scene from a bad spy movie to him. Also, thanks to his espionage training and experience, Illya was fairly certain that a good ten percent of the people around him were passing secret information to one another.

The choice of location had been that of the contact, and the only instruction he’d given was for Solo and Kuryakin to be at a certain bench by the lake, at midday. As was usual, the agents arrive at the location ahead of time. They liked to get a lay of land in case problems arose.

“I do not like this,” Illya commented, scanning the area. “Everything feels too staged.”

“I know what you mean, Tovarisch,” Napoleon replied. “But, we have to follow any lead we get. If this turns out to be legitimate we will have the locations of several satrapies.”

“That only heightens my suspicions.”

Napoleon couldn’t help but to agree with his partner. The whole thing felt like a trap, but it wouldn’t be the first time they’d knowingly walked into one. Like Illya, he scanned around him for the person who had summoned them there.

Central Park was always a busy place, and there was often more than one event happening at any given time. On this particular day there was a competition for remote controlled aircraft. There were dozens of different miniature airborne vehicles ranging from airplanes to helicopters, and anything in between. One in particular caught Illya’s attention, because it was entirely different to any of the others.

Measuring around three feet in length, the miniature airship seemed to be an exact copy of the ill-fated Hindenburg. As he watched it, Illya realised that the airship was no longer amongst the other competitors. Without making it obvious, he alerted Napoleon, who glanced in its direction.

“Am I seeing things, or does that thing have some sort of gun mounted beneath it?”

“It is not your imagination,” Illya replied. “What do you suggest we do?”

“Well, it can only shoot at one of us,” Napoleon stated.

“So we give whoever is flying it two targets,” Illya completed.

Without saying anymore, Napoleon and Illya both dived sideways, in opposite directions. As soon as they moved, the gun on the airship burst into life. Illya was unsurprised that the craft followed him. The universe just seemed to have marked him out as one of life’s bulls-eyes. In a move which looked as though it could have been choreographed, both agents rolled, while drawing their weapons. In unison, they fired at the airship, causing two catastrophic breaches in the craft.

The sound of gunfire had naturally caused a commotion and had attracted the attention of every police officer in the vicinity. The agents both pulled out their I.D., ready for the inevitable questions. Although, they each knew dealing with the police was going to be much easier than having to report back to Mr Waverly. The Old Man very much frowned on agents loosing off weapons in crowded areas.

“I tell you what I don’t understand,” said Napoleon later, when they were finally able to head back to the office. “Why go through that ridiculous rigmarole? We were both pretty much sitting ducks. Anyone with a silenced gun could have taken us out without anybody realising.”

“I often wonder about the Thrush mentality,” Illya replied. “They seem to have a need to make everything into theatre.”

“Whatever their motives, at least it gives us a chance to fight another day.”

 

The end.


End file.
